A Pontypool woman is running an ultra marathon in memory of her late husband. Paddy Maloney passed away in May 2022 just ten months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Rhian Maloney, is taking part in The Dragon 50 on Sunday 16 July along the Wales Coast Path from Kenfig Reserve to Cardiff Bay. She is doing the 50-mile route to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Her fundraising page has passed £2,000 and she’s aiming for £2,500. You can sponsor her here.
She said: “He has a seizure in August 2021 when he was at work. That was the first we knew. It all happened quickly. He had brain surgery in September and within a month was having chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”
The pair had been together for around 17 years. Following his diagnosis they decided to get married and organised everything within three weeks.
She said: “It was the perfect day. He went to Velindre and had chemo and radiotherapy in the morning. Tough, tough days at that time. He was always so positive and so brave. He was an animal lover and during treatment would always be in the garden with either a chicken or a cat on his lap.
“We got married in Pontypool Registry Office. I did my aisle walk to the Italian Gardens in Pontypool and met Paddy there. We then walked to the office. walk down the aisle. It was a small family wedding, and due to Covid, we had to safeguard him. ”
Rhian explained why she chose The Brain Tumour Charity: “They were brillaint, so support, lots of advice. Even since Paddy’s gone, there’s still that support system if I need it.”
She said that funding ongoing research is the “main thing” for choosing the charity: “In the last 12 months, they’ve created a new treatment for his type of cancer. They are working towards accelerating that cure. It’s not a well-funded cancer. I don’t think people talk about brain cancer, brain tumours, so raising awareness is important.”
Paddy, 56, was a well-known sports massage therapist who ran his business, The Milo Clinic, from a room in the former Globe Hotel in Pontypool. Before that he and Rhian ran Supplement Central, a health food and sports supplement shop in Cwmbran town centre.
Fitness was a big part of their life and they would alternate between West Wales and Cornwall for annual holidays where would run the coastal paths.
“I had never run a marathon before. Paddy did lots of big events, even a 100-mile event. There’s that nice link. I’ve been training on a lot of the local routes that we used to do together.
Sponsor Rhian
